Leeds United have been up and down in England’s top leagues in recent decades and many great Irish players have been there with them
Greatest Irish players to play for Leeds United
7. Noel Hunt
Hunt followed his former Reading manager in joining Leeds back in 2013. Unfortunately after being handed the number ten jersey, this would not be a dream move for him. After being hit by a thigh injury, he only made 19 appearances for the Whites before leaving for Ipswich Town.
Luke Murphy, Noel Hunt and Matt Smith to Leeds pic.twitter.com/4b22h5a4Nb
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChampo) July 3, 2013
6. Paul Green
The 38-year-old currently plies his trade for Boston United in the lower American leagues. Back in 2012, Green spent two years as a main player in the Leeds United team. He made 41 appearances in League One and Championship scoring four goals. He even managed to captain the team for one game before leaving in 2014.
Green signed for the Yorkshire club after he was called up for the Ireland team that played at Euro 2012, making a substitute appearance against Spain.
5. Liam Miller
The former traveling player lined out for 12 clubs in his career including a season-long loan spell at Leeds. In 2005, Miller was sent out from Manchester United to the Championship side for more game time.
The midfielder made 28 appearances and scored one goal during this spell. He would later move onto Sunderland and make 21 appearances for the Ireland national team.
4. Ian Harte
In 1995, Harte took the leap across the Irish sea when he moved from Home Farm to Leeds United. The Drogheda man spent eight years in Yorkshire, becoming a prolific left-back for them, often taking their penalties and free kicks.
After well over 200 appearances and 28 goals, Leeds were surprisingly relegated from the Premier League in 2004. Harte would then move further abroad as he spent three years in Spain with Levante.
3. Denis Irwin
One of Leeds’ crowning glories is their impressive youth academy. Ireland and Manchester United’s legendary left-back started out his long career at the Whites’ famed academy.
Back in the early ’80s Irwin joined the club and made over 70 appearances in the old Second Division before moving to Oldham FC IN 1986.
2. Robbie Keane
One of Ireland’s greatest ever strikers and Irish players to play in England, Keane, was shown a lifeline by Leeds in his early career. After an ill-fated move to Inter Milan in 2000, the Whites’ offered him a loan spell and subsequent permanent deal. In 18 months he scored 13 league goals before making the biggest move of his career to Tottenham Hotspur.
With 68 goals, Keane would later become Irelands leading scorer also making 148 appearances.
ON THIS DAY: In 2001, Robbie Keane scored his first ever senior hat-trick as Leeds smashed Leicester 6-0 in the League Cup.
Cue cartwheel. pic.twitter.com/IxSf0ETyGw
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 9, 2016
1. John Giles
Giles was more certainly the finest of the Irish players to tog out for Leeds United. His 12-year spell began after he was frozen out of Manchester United. As he promised, Giles would ‘haunt’ Busby for his decisions.
Under Don Revie, he made 383 league appearances, scoring 88 goals and becoming one of the most feared midfielders in the English top-flight. He won League and Cup titles before leaving for West Brom in 1975.
Giles would also make 59 appearances for the Boys in Green, both as a player and a player-manager.
Here's birthday boy John Giles scoring a routine screamer as West Brom's player-manager vs Manchester United pic.twitter.com/jxfTmneTbY
— Ronan Mullen (@RonanReigns) November 6, 2021
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